Familiarity helps

Watauga duo find

success in NWC
By Andy Kruse
Special to the Democrat

The Watauga softball team has brought a very well matched pitcher-catcher combination this season with Nicole Reilly and Chandler Butler.

The duo has been friends since elementary school and been playing together since Butler was in the seventh grade and Reilly was in the eighth, so they have developed a good chemistry.

“She reads my mind,” Reilly said. “She knows what I’m thinking and what to call.”

Now a senior, Reilly came to the Pioneer mound as a freshman and has been all Northwestern 4-A Conference three years in a row. This season, she carries an ERA of 1.55.

“She throws the ball well and has good movement,” Watauga coach Brian Vannoy said. “When she’s on the mound we have a good chance of winning.”

Butler, a junior, caught two years ago, but was moved to second base last year. Now she’s back behind the plate. Displaying great athleticism and a very strong arm, she keeps up the pace of the game and is constantly talking up her players.

“Teams don’t try to steal second on her cause she fires the ball out so quick,” Vannoy said.

In high school softball, it’s not normal for a coach to let his players call the game, but Vannoy has this confidence in the two teammates.

“What I call depends on where they are on the plate,” Butler said. “And if you know what certain players are gonna go for.”

Reilly has a repertoire of pitches including a deadly screwball, a mean curveball, and a wicked change up.

“Throwing a change up for the first pitch of the game is fun,” Reilly said. “Sometimes, the back-to-back change up gets them.”

The two are also a force at the plate. Butler, who also plays volleyball and basketball at Watauga, bats lead off with a .360 average and Reilly follows her up batting .264 on the season.

Reilly hopes to walk-on at Appalachian State next year. For now, Reilly and Butler are focused on the NWC tournament starting this Friday.